Zebra ZQ500 Series Mobile Printers

The Zebra ZQ500 Series, including the ZQ511 and ZQ521 mobile printers, is designed for demanding mobile printing environments where durability, reliability and field performance are critical. These printers are built for users who work indoors, outdoors, in vehicles, in warehouses, on delivery routes or in other tough mobile workplaces where equipment may be dropped, exposed to dust, moisture, temperature changes and continuous handling. The ZQ500 Series is especially suitable for transportation and logistics, field service, direct store delivery, proof of pickup and delivery, route accounting, post and parcel, passenger ticketing, manufacturing, warehousing, government, utilities, parking enforcement, retail and hospitality. Typical applications include mobile receipts, labels, tags, pallet labels, packing and staging labels, cross-docking labels, shelf-edge labels, click-and-collect receipts and labels, drive-through receipts and event or venue receipt printing. The series includes two main models. The ZQ511 is the more compact model, with a maximum print width of 72 mm. It is well suited for mobile receipts, narrower labels, field service documents, route documents and compact mobile workflows. The ZQ521 is the wider model, with a maximum print width of 104 mm, making it better suited for larger mobile labels, logistics labels, warehouse labels and broader receipt formats. Both models use direct thermal printing for barcodes, text and graphics. The print resolution is 203 dpi, and maximum print speed is up to 127 mm per second, or 5 inches per second, when Draft Mode is enabled. The printers support CPCL and ZPL programming languages, with ZBI 2.x available for standalone applications, peripheral connection and more advanced workflow logic. The ZQ500 Series is built around ruggedness. The printers are MIL-STD 810G certified for drop and shock, and tolerate multiple drops from 2 m to concrete. They are also tumble tested to IEC68-2-32 with 1,300 free falls from 1 m. Standard sealing is IP54 for protection against solid and liquid ingress. For even tougher use, an optional exoskeleton case increases drop testing to 3 m and improves the IP rating to IP65. This rugged construction makes the ZQ511 and ZQ521 suitable for mobile workers who cannot protect their devices from every impact or environmental exposure. New over-molding helps increase long-term durability and keeps the printer in better condition throughout its service life. The printers are engineered for demanding, mobile, high-contact environments where standard mobile printers may not be durable enough. The ZQ500 Series supports a broad range of mobile printing needs. The printers can produce receipts, labels, tags, linerless labels and RFID labels when the correct model and configuration are selected. RFID encoding is available on both ZQ511 and ZQ521 as separate RFID products. RFID models require black mark RFID media and do not support gap sensing, so media selection and workflow design should be verified before deployment. Linerless printing is available as an option with the correct linerless configuration and silicone platen roller. Zebra’s ZeroLiner linerless approach can improve productivity by reducing backing liner waste, increasing the number of labels per roll and reducing media changes. Linerless capability should be positioned only for the proper linerless SKU, not as a standard feature of every ZQ500 printer. Battery performance is designed for long mobile shifts. The ZQ511 and ZQ521 use a removable, rechargeable 3250 mAh PowerPrecision+ lithium-ion battery as standard. An optional 6500 mAh extended battery is available for larger print jobs or longer shifts. PowerPrecision+ battery technology provides more insight into battery condition, while Zebra’s Power Smart Print Technology helps optimize battery consumption by delivering the required amount of power for printing. The printers also support sleep mode to conserve battery life and can wake on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Touch. This helps keep the printer available when a job is sent, while reducing unnecessary battery drain between printing tasks. For mobile users in the field, this combination of sleep mode, wake functionality and larger battery option can support more continuous productivity. Connectivity is designed for mobile enterprise use. Standard connectivity includes Android, Apple iOS and Windows Mobile support, Bluetooth 4.1 EDR + LE and USB On-The-Go. Wireless configurations support 802.11ac Wi-Fi on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, with WPA / WPA2, AES encryption, 802.1x authentication and 802.11r fast roaming. The specification also lists simultaneous Bluetooth 5.2-ready / 802.11ac multiport radio, with the footnote that Bluetooth 5.2 support relates to errata fixes and does not add future extra functionality. Zebra Print Touch with NFC simplifies Bluetooth pairing and can launch web-based help pages on compatible NFC-enabled devices. USB 2.0 full-speed communication is available through a Micro-AB connector with optional strain relief. These communication options help connect the printers to mobile computers, tablets, phones or host systems in field and enterprise environments. The ZQ500 Series runs on Zebra Link-OS and is supported by Zebra DNA for Printers. Management capabilities include Printer Profile Manager Enterprise, Mirror, SNMP, WebServer, AirWatch, SOTI Connect and Wavelink Avalanche. These tools help IT teams configure, secure, monitor and manage networked mobile printers remotely, reducing support effort and improving fleet visibility. The printers include a simple, easy-to-read LCD with large icons for battery and wireless status. Large buttons are designed to support operation with gloves or in mobile field conditions. The user interface is intentionally simple to reduce accidental setting changes. QR code links to web-based help pages are supported, although they are not displayed directly on the LCD. Media loading is designed for speed and ease of use. The clamshell design supports quick media changes, while centre loading adjusts for variable roll widths. The printer can be used in any orientation and supports both vertical and horizontal printing. A dual-sided tear bar allows clean tearing in either direction, although this is not available with linerless SKUs. The ZQ511 supports media widths from 35 mm to 80 mm plus tolerance and a maximum media roll size of 51 mm. The ZQ521 supports media widths from 50.8 mm to 113 mm plus tolerance and a maximum media roll size of 57 mm. Maximum media thickness is 0.1600 mm for labels and 0.1397 mm for tag or receipt media, while minimum media thickness is 0.05842 mm for all media, with a specific lower value listed for ZQ511 linerless SKU. Supported media types include receipt, gap / black mark labels, tags, linerless and RFID media with the correct configuration. Environmental performance is strong for mobile use. Operating temperature is -20°C to 55°C, charging temperature is 0°C to 40°C, cradle temperature is 0°C to 50°C and storage temperature is -30°C to 66°C. Operating and storage humidity are both listed as 10% to 90% non-condensing. These specifications support use in outdoor, warehouse, transport and field service conditions. Memory includes 256 MB RAM and 512 MB Flash as standard, with 8 MB RAM and 64 MB Flash available for user use. Font support includes 25 bitmapped fonts and one smooth scalable font, with scalable fonts supporting Latin, Cyrillic, Hebrew and Arabic characters. Additional Asian font support is available depending on regional part number group. Barcode support is broad. CPCL and ZPL barcode symbologies include common linear and 2D codes such as Code 39, Code 128, UPC, EAN, PDF417, MicroPDF417, MaxiCode, QR Code, Data Matrix, Aztec, GS1 DataBar and others. This makes the ZQ500 Series suitable for logistics, retail, ticketing, asset tracking and field identification workflows. Overall, the Zebra ZQ500 Series is a rugged mobile printer family for organisations that need reliable mobile printing in tough environments. The ZQ511 is best for compact mobile receipt and narrower label workflows, while the ZQ521 is better for wider 4-inch mobile labels, logistics labels and larger field documents. RFID and linerless capabilities are strong advantages when selected in the correct configuration, but the core value of the ZQ500 Series is rugged, field-ready mobile printing.

Datasheet

Product Features

• Connection: Bluetooth, WIFI
• Resolution: 203 dpi

Product Identifiers

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